Category: Prophetic Stream

Posted on

April 19

 

Isaiah 60-64

We are in the Prophetic Stream today getting close to the end of the book of Isaiah. We are using the Good News Translation this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

The section today bursts forth as a song of the Messianic Age.  The Lord is here and in full and good news is spreading over all the earth and the illustration spills right into being the glory of heaven.

 
60 – Isaiah is one of the greatest writers that ever lived and this is certainly among Isaiah’s sections. It’s even among the most wonder-filled chapters in the whole Bible.  It talks of a grand gathering, people and wealth are coming to Jerusalem, the testifying, the sacrifices, it’s the homecoming of history and “the LORD will make His Temple more glorious than ever ” v. 7. There will be great service in Jerusalem. When the chapter morphs into talk that can only be interpreted as paradise itself with unimpeded access to God it is altogether a marvel.
 
61 – What we read in the first three verses of 61 is Isaiah talking of Jesus.  Jesus knows it is Him and quotes this when He is speaking in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:18f).  This is prophecy fulfilled 700 years later.  This is a time of great restoration.  The Messianic theme that actually started in Isaiah 59:20 is still proceeding.  Israel will have servants, and wealth, and joy.  The praises to the LORD will be coming from all nations – the testimony of what God has done in this one nation will amaze the whole earth that much.
 
62 – The splendor here is the imagery of a wedding.  It is enchanting as a wedding also. The symbolism is matched in ways by John’s writing at the end of Revelation when “the New Jerusalem” is coming down like a bride preparing to meet her husband. The surprises and excitement of a reunion also come into play too. There is food; bread and wine in abundance and phenomenal worship.  Is it fine to call this a dinner/theater gone into a colossal mode?!  And most of all the LORD is coming to save.
 
63 – there is a peculiar insertion here – a mentioning of Edom; it could be a reference to all the enemies of God and Jerusalem who will be trampled and defeated permanently. It is certainly a break in the literature to interrupt all the glory and worship and celebration to put this in such a run of wonderful things.  However it is part of celebrating to defeat an enemy, and revel with our victorious LORD.  Isaiah resumes abruptly; talking of the goodness and love of the LORD and his precise care and provision. The chapter ends with a prayer for mercy; beseeching God to treat them according to God’s goodness v.s. their character and lack thereof. This is a theme we have seen before in Isaiah.
 
64 – and Shazzam, 64 arrives and we are not looking way forward to glorious things and themes and events. Isaiah just wants God to show and make himself known.  Things are difficult; attitudes across the nation are crass, the city is in ruins, beautiful places have been deserted and Isaiah is pleading for the LORD to come to them.
Posted on

April 12

 

Isaiah 55-59

We are in the Prophetic Stream as we read from the Lexham English Bible this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

55-56  God is talking and it is soothing for this first 21 verses.  All of 55 and the first eight verses of ch. 56 is about the work of God expanding and blessing and feeding and watering and including and welcoming more to himself. People are so satisfied and God is shepherding and elevating and assuring. The whole world is invited to come; to come be cared for and ministered to the way God has been reaching out to the Hebrews since Abraham’s day.

 
56:9 ff – from here to the end of today’s reading, the boom gets lowered and God is giving some of His final warnings.  It isn’t pretty stuff, and God will avenge upon those who are playing the Joker in God’s face. Have you ever seen a kid, a teenager per se~ who was raised in a well-to-do family.  As has been said about what can happen to these types (especially the unmentored), they were born in the palace, so they think they own the place though they’ve done nothing constructive from their beginning.  Well the leadership in Jerusalem is thinking they are blessed regardless and since they have the “inside track” to God, they can bend His rules as they please and God is just going to let this arrogance slide forever.  Well He isn’t.  God is going to cut loose on these men soon. They are blind, ignorant, selfish, stupid, gluttonous, and partying like plastered college sophomores and could not care less about anything; oblivious as well as careless.
 
57 – By this time Isaiah is calling everything what it is and Israel is acting no different than the pagans, heathens, the godless and satanic people all around them.  Even child sacrifice is going on! for shame!  Their behavior is approaching the bottom if not there already and it’s been there awhile.  It’s nauseating to even mention what is going on. The sin is generational by now and many don’t remember anything different, they don’t know anything is wrong.  Trying to point things out to these people is like lecturing skunks about bad odors. Prostitution is rampant and soon there will be nothing left before long.        Even with all this, God will receive back those who will repent . . . When will He have had enough and just smash the place ?  wow.
 
58 – What’s going on is corrupted justice, manipulation of the people, “cherry-picking” through the Law and obeying what makes them merely feel holy and having no actual concern for holiness.  God is pointing out their injustice, the brutalizing of each other, the judgmentalism.  God is ordering them to stop this. He wants them to come back to Him. He wants to bless them.  They still aren’t letting God love them however.  They seem to prefer to love themselves [as if they even knew how to!]. They’re singing “i’ll do it my way”
 
59 – This is the final chapter of this run; this litany of horrid problems with God’s people. Again God is well into a monologue of accusation: There’s blood on their hands, their feet chase evil, their thoughts are all wrong, there’s no justice, and the sinning is endless.  God still has a plan for His nation and it is a good one.  He is going to send a Redeemer to those who will come to Him and turn from sin.
 
God we can ask, “how can you keep loving these people?” And yet you do.  How can you and why do you keep reaching out to us? It’s better that we just say thank you and not question you. And so we thank you for loving us as we are and yet loving us too much to not Redeem us to better living and better service to you.  Thank you Lord.  Amen.
Posted on

April 5

Isaiah 50-54

We are in the Prophetic Stream today. We will be covering the famous chapter Isaiah 53 as we read from the World English Bible this week.

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, you serve and send The Savior.  It is truly you and your work for us that saves.  Keep us filled with faith and gratitude.  Bless you Lord,  Amen.

The theme of this section of scripture is that the LORD will serve His people; they will be redeemed and restored and The Servant of the LORD will aid and protect them in Zion. This idea has been seen scattered throughout Isaiah but the resumption of this thinking comes into full view here as this concept has been accumulating through Isaiah’s book.

 
50 – it begins with the nation in dismay, but God assures immediately they he can redeem from any situation. God has full control over nature, the LORD speaks, he gives us “ear to hear”, He helps, The Lord calls all to come to Him and trust Him – to stop trusting in their own plans; contrare~ plans that they think are going to be of any protection.
 
51 – These next two chapters are devoted to telling of Zion’s redemption and restoration. Judah would go into captivity in the future, but God’s plan for His own has never wavered. His commitment to Abraham and Sarah has not been down graded or altered in the least. God’s plan is endless – so listen to God, come to God, look to God, He will strengthen – but they needed to adorn themselves in Him. Remember ALL He has done!  He comforts and calms and liberates. The delirium that comes from disobedience is akin to drunkenness and need never be a problem to them again.
 
52 – This chapter is also pure wonderment.  It is the day of Zion’s triumph.  It’s so beautiful it is actually a song.  There’s no way to list all the great things God is up to and not simply recite the whole chapter –> again.  This is truly a song of happy days.  People who’ve sung “Our God Reigns” since for-ev-er may wonder where it comes from.  It’s from here! v. seven has the whole song within it.  The rest of the chapter is just as marvelous.
 
53 – The fascination of this chapter merely grows with time.  Isaiah told so many details about a Savior and he is describing Him 700 years before His arrival.  The details cannot be ignored or altered if one religions’ description of a Savior doesn’t match God’s. Some have tried to explain this chapter away as being some other person from some other era or to be someone who is coming yet in the future.  This chapter is Jesus and what He has done to heal, to forgive, and to save.
 
54 – The fascination here is that Zion is going to expand; expand in every way, the people, the land, the blessing, the dwellings, and the beauty; the adornment, the jewels, oh my!  It will all be the wonderful work of God.  The people of Zion have suffered, but God’s mercy and comfort and lovingkindness will prevail and ‘win the day’.  Zion will prevail in righteousness.